GOLD = Kingdom GloryBLUE = Holy SpiritBROWN = Bread/Body PURPLE = Wine/Blood1Now Naomi (Grace) had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech (God is King), whose name was Boaz.(type of Jesus) 2And Ruth (Sisterhood of Women) the Moabite (of the 'outer' land) said to Naomi, ﻿“Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.”﻿ And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech.4And behold, Boaz came fromBethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered, “The LORD bless you.”5Then Boazsaid to his young man who was in charge of the reapers,“Whose young woman is this?”6And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered,“She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”8Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”10Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground (John 4:24), and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”11But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”13Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”14And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some breadand dip your morsel in the wine.” (Genesis 14:18, John 6:53-59) So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain.And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over (John 6:13, Matthew 15:37, Mark 8:19-20, 1 Samuel 25:18, 2 Samuel 9:11, 16:1-2).15When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”17So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.18And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. 19And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”20And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”21And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”22And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.”23So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

This Sunday on the Beach to the right of the pier Deborah opened up and shared her introduction to Ruth Chapter Two and then we read the chapter in turn. When we do this in our gatherings, we do it to look for Communion and CommunionFire. Ruth is coming alive as a classic on the subject of Communion. Beneath a perfect blue sky the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to recognize Jesus in the Book of Ruth so clearly that many of us felt "drunk in the Spirit" after the dialog and Communion..

"Let me go among those who gather wheat to make bread after Him in whose SIGHT I find grace." When Jesus looks at us and we see him in His glory He pours grace upon grace into our hearts imparting the Bread of Life. (John 1:14)

Ruth is identifying with those who are part of the Lord's people at His Table of Grace. She chose to number herself among the workers. The Lord has told us to take CommunionFire to the "Weary, Worshipers and Workers" She is in the field of the Lord (Boaz which means Pillar of the Temple who "Quickens"). He is of the family of Elimelech - "God the King" Boaz came from Bethlehem "The House of Bread"

"Boaz" literally means "quickness" and pillar in the temple. (There are 2 bronze pillars at the front of the Temple and the name of the one to the north is named "Boaz" 1 Kings 7:21.) The pillar inside us is the finished work of Jesus. He is the pillar of our redemption and the work of the Cross is quickened by the Holy Spirit. "If that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me He will quicken my mortal body!" Romans 8:11)

Verse 4 is where we get the greeting of the believers, "The Lord be with you" Response, "The Lord bless you!" The Lord be "with you" is as if to say 'I hope you had Communion today' in our ranks. Because if you did you are aware that He is with you. The Lord "bless you" is offering the other person the affirmation that we are partakers of His divine nature. (2 Peter1:4

Romans 1:19-20 "because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made..."

Boaz asks, "Who is this woman the Lord?" and the 'leader of the reapers' (harvesters) responded, "She is from the outer world defined by the law of sin and death but held fast to Grace (Naomi) to leave her life to come into the new land of Grace. She asked to have the leftovers of the reapers just to be near them from break of day until night. (Psalm 37:3)

The Lord said, stay in my land of promise and glean here. Stay close to the other women and let your EYES be on the field and follow them. You are safe and no man will touch you and they will give you to drink from my well.

Verse 10 She worshiped the Lord. The literal definition of worship is to fall face down to the ground to kiss the presence of the Lord. (John 4:23 "worship" literally "on my knees - lean in to kiss the presence of the Lord") She asked why she had found grace in His eyes since I am from the outer world.

I heard of your reputation for desiring and doing what is right and how you chose to give up your life to become part of the ways of my people to find refuge beneath my wings. I will repay you and reward you.

She responded, "I have been found by your grace and you are my comfort and you speak in kindness even though I am not one of your servants. (John 15:14-16)

Verse 14: At mealtime the Lord said, "Come have Communion" (Eat some bread and dip it in the wine). So she sat with the workers at The Lord's Table (Boaz (the pillar from the house of bread: Bethlehem) and He even passed the 'roasted grain' to her. She ate enough to be satisfied and had left overs.

Boaz told the young men to provide handfuls of blessings on purpose wherever Ruth would glean among the sheaves and to be very kind to her. Communion brings ongoing increases in blessings from the Lord. It is sometimes overwhelming!

So she gleaned and separated the barley wheat from the chaff and had as much as she could carry. Naomi (Grace) asked, "Where did you gather today?" and she said, "With Boaz." (The Lord).

Like Ruth, in Communion we have learned to recognize that Jesus is always kind and we know from personal experience that He does not forsake the living or the dead. In fact His presence clarifies how thin the veil is between the two! He is our Redeemer! He promises that all who come to His Table and eat what He has prepared will have life, eternal life and will be raised up on the last day!

We keep close to one another until the end of the harvest and those days may be upon us right now! Ruth stays close to Boaz' field near the young men and women living in the house of Grace (Naomi). The Table of the Lord is where we stay close to Jesus and His people. Communion is how the Lord empowers us with His life quickened by the voice of the Lord from the Holy Spirit.

Interesting Parallels in Isaiah 62

"For the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." Isaiah 62:4-5

"The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, "I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies; Nor will foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored." But those who garner it will eat it and praise the LORD; And those who gather it will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary." Isaiah 62:8-9

"Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him."And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken." Isaiah 62:11-12

The Crossroads Initiative is one of the great resources of christian Faith to evolve on the 21st Century Landscape of Today's Church. Dr. Italy, N.Y.Times Best Selling Author, and the D'Ambrosio Family have been a valuable resource in my life and I hope you will visit often.

http://www.BobBeBold,com

This was a Campus Crusader who wanted Early Church authenticity - I was called into the ministry under the street preaching of this wonderful Man of God in Berkeley, CA in 1971. He was a founder of God's Love household for Street Christians, the publisher of the Jesus People's Movement called "Right On" and through an amazing series of transformations throughout his ministry He was a founder of The University of Orthodox Theology (now called St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology) and oversaw the creation of The Orthodox Study Bible before the Lord moved him to his new address in heaven. Thanks Fr. Jack N. Sparks, Ph.D The Witness of Jack and his estimed Associates from Grace Haven Farms, New Covenant Apostolic Order, The Evangelical Orthodox Churches and theis eventual assimilation into the Antiochian Orthodox Church of America is truely one of the Great Church Histories of the 20th and 21st Century.

CONCILIAR POST InterChristian Dialog

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio One of the Best on The Subject Recomended for all generations and all denominations

Jess is a Wonderful Worship Leader. Here she shares how the Good Shepherd gave her direction and how her encounter with Jesus in CommunionFire impacted her life. (Note: Her CommunionFire story is told at minute 25 )

Luke 3:16 "He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire." Ask Jesus to baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire today.

Another significant influence in my life is the life and ministry of Winkey Pratney. His lifelong commitment to the study and application of Revival as both an apologist and polemicist raised the bar for me and he accomplished what I only dreamed - to Produce the Revival Study Bible. He has also been an intrinsic Man of God from the days of the Jesus People Movement and a part of my experience as a visiting teacher at Christ for the Nations in Dallas in 1975 and one of the principles in Y.W.A.M. Youth With A Mission that has had a direct impact on my sister, daughters, nephews and grandchildren. Thanks Brother Winkey for the legacy you have deposited into my life and the life of so many others.

"JOIN ME FOR A PILGRIMAGE of a LIFETIME" Our primary guide will be Dr. Italy., a widely respected professor of biblical interpretation and church history and a New York Times best-selling author.